Framing systems having components made of metal, typically steel or other alloys, referred to as “steel stud” framing systems, are currently used in many industrial and commercial buildings and in an increasing number of residential buildings. Steel stud framing systems have several advantages over conventional wooden framing systems including reduced environmental concerns, fire safety and freedom from warpage, insect damage and rot. Typical steel stud framing systems incorporate horizontal tracks and vertical studs which support interior and/or exterior wall coverings. Typical wall coverings include drywall panels, stucco panels and the like. These wall coverings are usually secured to the studs of the framing system by suitable fasteners. Typically, wall coverings and their joints are taped or otherwise finished to conceal the fasteners and/or the joints.
In older framing systems, vertical studs are rigidly connected to horizontal joists, beams or tracks which are affixed to (or are part of) the building structure that defines the floor(s), ceiling(s) and/or roof. The rigid connections of such framing systems do not allow relative movement between the framing system components. This rigidity presents a serious problem in some circumstances. For example, rigid framing systems can be damaged if there is any relative movement of the building structure components between which the framing systems are mounted. Relative movement of the building structure components typically occurs because of varying load conditions on the floor(s) or the roof of a building. Load conditions which vary over the life of a building structure may typically be referred to by engineers as “live loads”. Examples of live loads include, without limitation, introduction or removal of heavy loads on the floor(s) or the roof, snow on the building roof, seismic activity, and heat-related expansion and/or contraction. Under varying load conditions, pressure and forces can weaken and damage the framing system and/or the building structure and can cause cracks in the wall coverings, which are unsightly, unsafe and which may lead to further damage to the framing system and/or the building structure.
Accordingly, there is a general desire to provide framing systems for building structures which accommodate movement of the framing system components relative to one another and/or relative to the building structure to alleviate pressure caused by varying load conditions.
There are a number of patents related to framing systems for building structures. Such patents include:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,333,390 (Banning);
U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,127 (Mieyal);
U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,991 (Mieyal);
U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,345 (Gilmour);
U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,203 (Paquette);
U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,760 (Brady);
U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,752 (Hatzinikolas);
U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,121 (DeFrancesco et al.);
U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,066 (Becker);
U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,080 (diGirolamo et al.);
U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,788 (Herren);
U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,982 (Hiesberger);
U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,053 (St. Germain); and,
U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,558 (Surowiecki).
The framing systems disclosed in these patents have a number of disadvantages, which include, for example: requiring additional “slip tracks” positioned between the vertical studs and the horizontal tracks; requiring clip components and/or stud extension members located and/or connected between the horizontal tracks and the vertical studs; requiring complex-shaped, difficult to fabricate studs or tracks; and requiring slotted tracks penetrated by fasteners or other projections. Some of these framing systems require relatively costly components and relatively large amount of installation time. In addition, some of these prior art systems permit an undesirably small amount of movement of the studs relative to the tracks.
There is a general need in the construction industry for framing systems which accommodate movement of the framing system components relative to one another and/or their associated building structures and which ameliorate at least some of the aforementioned and/or other disadvantages of prior art framing systems.